Chusetts



B. POULSON.

DEVICE FOR DBTAOHIN-G BUTTONS.

(No Model.)

Patented Mar. 20,1888.

FIGJI- FIGJV- N. PETERS. Phntwlilmgnplwr. Withingim [1Q UNITED STATESPATENT rErcE.

BRITTON POULSON, OF FORT XVAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO \VILLIAM D.

SCHIEFER, OF SAME PLACE, AND JOHN C. HUNT, OF CONCORD, MASSA- CHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR DETACHING BUTTONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379.604, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed November 7, 1887. Serial No. 254.511.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BRITTON Pounson, of Fort WVayne, county of Allen,and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inDevices for Detaching Buttons,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a device for removing buttons from shoes andother articles of wearing-apparel, &c., and constitutes an improvementupon a device for that purpose for which Letters Patent were granted tome July 1 26, 1887, No. 367,319.

It consists in a novel construction of case slotted from end to end onone side and provided with a knife or cutter adapting it to act witheither end in advance; in a novel construction of the cutter whereby itis adapted to the form or construction of the case referred to, and inthe arrangement of the opposing edges, inclines, and springs operatingin connection with the cutter, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the cutter-face sideof my improved device in elevation. Fig. 2 represents the device inlongitudinal section in a plane at right angles to the plane of theknife or cutter, and Fig. 3 a transverse section through the same. Fig.4 is a face view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification in the formof the cutter.

A indicates the case, made, preferably, sub- 5 stantially U shaped incross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, with inwardly-turned flanges a a onthe ends of its arms, and with end plates, I) b, which give it the formof a hollow and ap proximately semi-cylindrical case. The end plates donot extend to the plane of the flanges a (1,, a space, a, being left forthe admission of the button, and the lips or flanges a a extend onlypartly across the side of the case on which they are located, having aslot or space, 0,

5 left between their adjacent edges for the pas sage of the shank of thebutton and the material securing it. The flanges are cut away near theirends, as indicated at (L to give said ends a flaring form, which greatlyfacilitates (No model.)

the admission and guidance of the button to the slot 0 and to the cutterlocated therein. The inner adjacent edges of the lips or flanges a a, orthe entire width of said flanges, if desired, are made pendent or arethicker along the central portion of their length, as shown at d, andthe ends of said thickened portion or ledges are beveled or inclinedoutward on the inner edges, as shown at d, for a purpose which willappear. One of the lips, a, has a V or U shaped recess, e, formed in itsouter face at or near the center of its length, and to the oppositelip,a, is secured a cutter, B, which is made beveled or tapering from itscenter toward both ends and beveled on its outer face to a cutting-edgeon said tapering edge, as shown at f f. These tapering edges cross theslot 0 obliquely, and the point f of the cutter overlies the recess 0 inthe edge of the flange a, slightly removed from contact with the bottomof said recess. (See Figs. 1 and 3.)

To the end plates, 1) and b, springplates g are secured, which extendinwardly toward each other, and, preferably, are made to divergeinwardly from the plane of the outer faces of the flanges a and at.These springs are made, preferably, to extend transversely across thecasing and serve the double purpose of preventing the accidental escapeof buttons from the case through the openings 0 and of holding thebuttons steadily pressed up against the ledges d in the process ofdetaching them.

The operation will be readily understood. The operator, taking thedevice in his hand, with either end in advance, and with the cutter-faceto the shoe or other article from which the buttons are to be removed,pushes the end toward a button or line of buttons, and the latter,entering the openings 0, pass within the case, and, coming in contactwith the inclined ends (2 of the ledges d, are drawn inward until theshanks are drawn inside the plane of the cutter B, leaving only thefastening material to be acted upon by said knife or cutter. Theadjacent edge of the flange to underlying said knife serves to hold saidfastening material up to the action of the cutter as the device is movedlongitudinally over the button. A portion, if, of one of the end platesis hinged to a rigidly-fastened portion thereof or to the edge of thecasing, and forms a small door, which may be fastened, when closed, bymeans of an elastic lip or flange on its outer edge, as shown, or in anysuitable manner. This door enables the operator to remove the buttonsfrom the case when required.

In Fig. 4 a circular cutter is shown pivoted to a flange, a, andoverlying the slot 0' and recess e, which is curved to conforn to theshape of the cutter, as shown. The action of the cutter in this casewill be readily understood,

and the action of the device as a whole is the same as that abovedescribed.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The longitudinally-slotted case A, provided with the cutter crossingsaid slot and adapted to operate with either end of the case in advance,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the longitudinallyslotted case or holder A, ofthe double-acting or two-edged cutter, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. The hollow case A, having end openings, 0, thelongitudinal slot 6,pendent ledges d, and knife or cutter B, substantially as described.

4. The ease or holder A, provided with the end openings, 0, thelongitudinal slot 0, and the tapering ledges d, of the spring-plates g,substantially as described.

5. The case or holder A, provided with the openings 0 c, the slot 0,ledges d, springs g, cutter B, and hinged door b all substantially asand for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofOctober, A. D. 1887.

BBITTON 'POULSON.

\Vitnesses:

B. LowRY, A. A. LOWRY.

